Old Or Needs T L C?

[mrjames]

i Have a eheim 2215 and hav had it set up for about 8 months. clean it about every 2 and it has about 3 inches of activated carbon in the bottom and the rest is filter sponges. my questions...

the filter doesnt seem to kickin out much water at all and wondered if there was anythin i could do to increase the gph??

should i take out some of the sponge allowing the water to pass through the filter easier? or more carbon n less sponge??

is there a limit on hom much carbon u can put in?? if there is what will to much carbon do to my water??

all replys welcome

thanks

james

 

[Miss Wiggle]

when you say you clean it every 2 months, can you run through exactly what you do and when you last did it.

I'd get rid of the carbon altogether, although it's excellent for removing medications and unwanted toxins from the water, it doesn't last very long at all and after a few days will release everything it's taken out back into the water, after that it does nothing at all.

it should really only be used when you've medicated the tank or it has become contaiminated accidentaly, then you should put some in for 24hrs then remove it.

i would take this out and replac it with another type of media, try filter floss or soemthing like ceramic rings.

 

[mrjames]

when you say you clean it every 2 months, can you run through exactly what you do and when you last did it.

I'd get rid of the carbon altogether, although it's excellent for removing medications and unwanted toxins from the water, it doesn't last very long at all and after a few days will release everything it's taken out back into the water, after that it does nothing at all.

it should really only be used when you've medicated the tank or it has become contaiminated accidentaly, then you should put some in for 24hrs then remove it.

i would take this out and replac it with another type of media, try filter floss or soemthing like ceramic rings.

thanks for the reply. when i clean it out i do a water change, with the old water i tip that into the sink and with my hands clean the sponges. not fully clean because i know u have to keep the good bacteria ect. i then with a toothbrush clean the motor ect and fill with water then put back together. takes ages lol does it have to be full of media or is it ok to be half full? is this thing just old?? all replys very welcome!!

james

B)

 

[Miss Wiggle]

it shouldn't be having problems after just 8 months IMO.

cleaning routine sounds about right, was gonna say you need to make sure you clean out the impeller.

 

[Lateral Line]

Have you had a look at the hoses? You may well find that the insides of the hoses are clogged with all manner of algae, bacteria and other crud. I clean my hoses out 2-3 times a year. You'll probably be amazed at how much difference it makes.

I have a piece of string and tie some scraps of cloth to the end, small enough to get into the hose, but obviously big enough to scour the surface. The string is longer then the hose. I tie a nail to the other end and pull the nail through the hose with a magnetic algae cleaner. Once you have a grip on the end, pull the rag through. Repeat 2-3 times. Make sure the string is strong enough, if it breaks with your rag stuck in the middle of the pipe, it may reqiore "surgery" to get the cloth out.

Spray bars also get clogged, could be another thing worth checking. I don't use them, but recall they gave problems when I did.

Some of my Eheim Classics are 15 years old now and still work like new.

 

[BigC]

Pipes, Spraybars and the Impellier housing all need cleaning regularly. (check the impellier itself is intact) These filters run for generations.

 

[2day]

Lateral Line; i totally agree. For a minute, i had this same problem too. I knew it had something to do with the filter, but had no idea. I cleaned the hoses out because algae was building up. I then hooked it all back up, and it runs perfect. No problems at all!

 

[mrjames]

cheers chics n chaps!! il try that tonight when i have a spare few hours!!

james B)